Complications

Take Me To Church

"Do you two go to church?"
Clessa shook her head no.
"Only on Wednesdays."
"So you should know where the Sanctuary is?"
"Yes, yes I should."
The rest of the ride was silent, and they could only hear the humming of the Machine's engine.
The Professor skipped over to a small, gray control panel. He opened it, revealing a series of colorful wires.
Clessa walked over next to him.
"What are you doing?"
"Having fun."
Soon the Machine was stopping.
"Here we are, New Hope Church. Quite a lovely place, actually. Now come on teammates, let's go investigate."
Before Clessa left the Machine, Simon grabbed her arm.
"Can we talk? About...the kiss?"
"Not now," said Clessa quickly.
Simon pulled her in for another kiss, but this one was not a sweet. It was more like, Simon was hungry for a kiss. After Clessa pulled away, she stared at Simon.
"You really need to ask permission first. And you know what? I don't want to be around you. Stay in the Machine and don't touch anything."
"Wait. I'm sorry, I just saw an opportunity to do it....so-."
"I don't want to hear it. The first time I know I kissed back. But this time, just forget it. Stay here. We're taking you home after this."
"But Clessa!"
Clessa slammed the door to the Machine, leaving Simon staring at the door.
"Where have you been?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
The Professor nodded, and gestures for her to enter the door.
"It's beautiful in here."
The Professor looked around outside of the church.
"Where Si-."
"I don't want to talk about it. All you need to know is that after this, we are taking him home."
The Professor scrunched up his face.
"Did he kiss you?"
Clessa angrily nodded.
"Alright...lets investigate."
Clessa nodded, and entered the empty church.
"Seems frightening."
The Professor walked over to the lights witches.
"Lights aren't turning on. Like a horror film! Oh what fun!"
Clessa playfully punched him in the arm and bounded up the steps into a small room.
"What's this place?"
"Well, like any normal living being, the sign says 'practice room.'"
"I thought you were an alien!"
"I am, but does that mean that I am not living?"
Clessa stood there, with a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.
"That's what I though. Any who, nothing interesting in here."
Then, they heard footsteps.
"Stand back."
Then, something appeared at the doorway.
"Who are you?"
Then, Simon stepped into the moonlight room.
Clessa turned and faced the window, her cheeks burning.
"Now, here is the meanie," said the Professor leaning against the wall.
"What did I do?"
"Kissed this girl without permission."
"What? I never did tha-."
"Might I add," said the Professor walking towards Simon, "That you kissed her without permission...twice. That's also known as might I say this in a way YOU COULD UNDERSTAND! That that is also known as... assault."
Simon stood there, gawking at the Professor.
"And I could turn you in. Supposed friend of CLESSA!"
The Professor looked deep into Simon's eyes, searching for a response.
"Now, what I want you to do, is go back to the Machine. We are taking you home."
Clessa stood at the window, continuously.
"Just get into the Machine, and it will take you back."
Simon looked over at Clessa's back. His nostrils were flared, and his expression read angry.
"Look Clessa. I am so-."
"Sorry? YOUR APOLOGIZING NOW? I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL MY FAULT! SO NOW YOU ARE ADMITTING? SEND HIM TO PRISON FOR ALL I CARE," screamed Clessa, no longer facing the wall. She slid down the wall, crying.
The Professor stood up.
"NOW LEAVE!"
Simon looked over at Clessa. Then he left, with slams of a door.
The Professor came over to Clessa, and hugged her.
"It's okay. He's gone now."
"But he'll be back! You can never get rid of him."
The Professor looked at Clessa.
"How many times has this happened before? Where he has kissed you without permission?"
"Two," whispered Clessa through sobs.
"Two is more than enough to send a person to prison."
The Professor released Clessa, and took her by the shoulders.
"I will personally make sure that he gets sent somewhere where he deserves to go."
With a snap of his fingers, the Machine was back in the room. Simon jumped out.
"What do you need now?"
The Professor flared his nostrils, and punched Simon in the jaw.
"Have fun in prison."
And with another snap of his fingers, Simon disappeared with the Machine. Clessa looked up at the Professor.
"Thank you."
The Professor forced a smile, and they walked out of the room.
"To the sanctuary!"
Clessa's smile was now back, and she skipped with the Professor to the Sanctuary.
"Whenever you touch me, I just feel like I have no problems in the world."
"Now that is something that every man loves to hear."
They laughed together, and entered the Sanctuary.
"This place is sure... eerie."
The Professor walked through each of the pews, and picked up a hymn book.
"Did I ever tell you that I am a fantabulous singer?"
"Prove it."
The Professor smiled, and flipped to a random page in the hymn book.
"Hark the herald Angels siiiiiiing! Glooooory to the newborn KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!"
As the Professor finished his glorious song, he bowed.
"You do have a voice! Who taught you how to do that?"
"Cher."
Clessa gawked at him. He closed the faded blue book, and jumped over the pew.
"I am also a ninja part time."
The Professor struck a ninja pose and waited for a response.
"Now that I don't believe."
"Okay maybe I lied a...little bit, but I did learn gymnastics from the Gabby Douglas."
"No way."
The Professor nodded and stuck his hands into his pocket.
"Well, all I can do is a cartwheel."
Clessa rose her eyebrow. The Professor winked and did a perfect cartwheel.
After dusting his hands off, he commented to Clessa, "well, that floor sure is dusty. Okay, back to the task at hand. That casket."
The Professor pointed to a shiny black casket in the back of the Sanctuary. He grabbed Clessa's hand, and they walked together slowly.
"This place looks familiar..."
Clessa looked up at the ceiling, and saw the light chandeliers.
"It's beautiful."
Clessa looked up, with a loss of breath.
"Sure is," said the Professor, looking up at the ceiling.
"I think I have seen these before."
"Sure, at queen Victoria's castle."
"Actually, I think that is where."
Clessa giggled, and looked at the casket sitting at the end of the hall. It looked like it was holding death itself. The shine on it was from the moon, which made the setting even more ominous.
The casket looked beckoning, as the moon showed in through.
"Here we are! Elton Brown's casket," said Clessa with a grin. She was finally figuring out where her parents were.
"Yes, quite...death like."
Clessa started walking towards the unlight candles, and saw the hard wax.
"These candles had sure had it cut out for them. Wax dripping, looks like no one has changed them in years. Well, that's an exaggeration. More like weeks? I don't know. When are churches required to-."
"Clessa?"
"Yeah?"
"We are the only two here, right?"
"Yes, Simon left."
"Then, who is standing by the casket?"
Clessa turned to face the lady standing next to the casket, and said a word she thought would never escape her mouth ever again.
"M-mom?"
"Hello honey."